Simon Woods

Simon Woods, executive director of the Seattle Symphony came to Seattle in May 2011. He has quickly partnered with the orchestra, staff, board, volunteers and music director Ludovic Morlot to develop plans for major new initiatives to take the Seattle Symphony to the next stage in its development. These include a focus on making deeper and more relevant connections to the community while fostering the great excitement and artistic energy that comes with a new music director. Woods’ previous post was chief executive of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO), one of the United Kingdom’s leading symphony orchestras. He achieved considerable success there in the areas of artistic leadership, fundraising, marketing, public relations and community engagement. Prior to his time at RSNO, Woods worked in the U.S. as president and CEO of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and as vice president of Artistic Planning and Operations at The Philadelphia Orchestra. Earlier, he worked in London as a record producer with EMI Classics, where he initiated and produced recordings with many of the world’s foremost classical artists and ensembles. Woods, his wife Karin, and their two children, Barnaby and Isabel, reside in Seattle.